Court rules for Coca-Cola heir’s descendants
The Georgia Supreme Court on Monday ruled in favor of eight descendants of Asa Candler, who founded the Coca-Cola Co.
The descendants had sued a trust company, accusing it of making improper payments to their grandfather and significantly depleting the trust.
Writing for a unanimous court, Justice Robert Benham said that while Reliance Trust Company did not act in bad faith in paying Charles Howard “Buddy” Candler III a total of $1.1 million from the trust during his lifetime, Reliance’s decision-making was “infected with…arbitrariness” and oppressed the grandchildren, who filed suit.
About the Author
Bill Rankin has been an AJC reporter for more than 30 years. His father, Jim Rankin, worked as an editor for the newspaper for 26 years, retiring in 1986. Bill has primarily covered the state’s court system, doing all he can do to keep the scales of justice on an even keel. Since 2015, he has been the host of the newspaper’s Breakdown podcast.
